Emery v. United States

52 Cust. Ct. 183, 1964 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1284
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedMay 26, 1964
DocketC.D. 2459
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 52 Cust. Ct. 183 (Emery v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Customs Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Emery v. United States, 52 Cust. Ct. 183, 1964 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1284 (cusc 1964).

Opinion

DoNLON, Judge:

Identification by plaintiff of the merchandise at issue was made only by claim of plaintiff’s counsel, and the official papers are not in evidence. However, defendant’s brief concedes that the protest merchandise “consists of three separate and distinct materials, identified on the invoices as Lignosol BD, Lignosol XD, and Lignosol TSD, exported from Canada by Lignosol Chemicals, Ltd., and genetically described on said invoices as evaporated lignum extract suitable for use in tanning containing no alcohol.” (Defendant’s [185]*185brief, p. 1.) The assertion of plaintiff’s counsel and documents that are not in evidence do not have the force of proof; but, absent proof, we may accept defendant’s concession as to what the merchandise is.

Plaintiff introduced into evidence three exhibits (1,2, and 3), which were not identified by plaintiff’s witness as being representative of the imported merchandise. They were, however, identified as representative of Lignosol BD (exhibit 1), Lignosol XD (exhibit 2), and Lignosol TSD (exhibit 3). These are the merchandise articles which defendant concedes are in issue. On that basis, we proceed to review the record and consider the issues raised by the amended protest.

These three Lignosols are extracts of a mixture of spruce and balsam woods, processed from sulphite pulp waste, a byproduct of paper manufacture. Sulphite pulp waste is described as sulphite liquor.

To make Lignosol BD, the sulphite liquor is first screened to remove the pulp particles. Then it is evaporated, certain volatile components being removed in the process of evaporating the liquor to a 50 percent solution. That solution is then dried, and the resultant powder is represented by exhibit 1, described as Lignosol BD. (R. 10.)

To make Lignosol XD, the sulphite liquor, after removal of the pulp particles, is treated with sulphur dioxide in order to remove calcium from the liquor. In this treatment, sodium replaces the calcium. Thereafter, the processing is like that described for Lignosol BD, i.e., concentration of the solution by evaporation, and drying into a powder. The powder is represented by exhibit 2, described as Lignosol XD. (R. 11.)

To make Lignosol TSD, the sulphite liquor, after removal of the pulp particles, is treated with sulphur dioxide and liquid ammonia is then added. The calcium bisulphite precipitates, leaving ammonia in place of the calcium. Thereafter, as for Lignosol BD and XD, the solution is concentrated by evaporation and dried to powder, represented by exhibit 3, described as Lignosol TSD. (R. 12.)

All three were identified as Lignosulphonates, that is, materials produced from spent sulphite liquor. (R. 7.) Proofs are lacking as to entry dates. Both parties, however, argue on the basis of entries both before September 29, 1957, and thereafter. We accept this as a concession of that fact. Significance of the date lies in a change, then effective, in the dutiable status of the tariff classification on which plaintiff bases its protest.

The merchandise was classified in liquidation under paragraph 1558, as modified, as articles, manufactured in whole or in part, not specially provided for, dutiable at 10 percent.

The protest, as originally filed, claimed that lignum extract or similar merchandise, regardless of entry date, is properly free of duty under paragraph 1670, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.

[186]*186On September Y, 1961, plaintiff’s motion to amend was granted, and the following claim was added to the protest:

That prior to tlie liquidation of tide entries involved in this case merchandise such as or similar to the merchandise covered by this protest was assessed under Par. 38, Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by T.D. 54Í08, at 7% or 6%% or 6% ad valorem under an established and uniform practice, and that the liquidation of the entries in question is contrary to the provisions of Section 315(d), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.

When trial opened at St. Albans, Vt., on October 2,1961, the presiding judge granted plaintiff’s further motion for protest amendment, adding to the already amended protest the following additional claim:

That prior to the liquidation of the instant entries, merchandise such, as or similar to the instant merchandise, if entered prior to September 29, 1957, was liquidated under Par. 38 and T.D. 54108 at 7% or 6%% or 6% ad val., and if entered after September 28, 1957, was liquidated free of duty under Par. 1670 and Public Law 85-235, under an established and uniform practice, and therefore the instant liquidations are contrary to Sec. 315(d), Tariff Act of 1930 as amended.
■Further, that the merchandise entered prior toa September 30,1957, is dutiable under Par. 38 and T.D. 54108 at 7% or 6}4% or 6% ad val. directly or by similitude.

It appears, therefore, that plaintiff makes the following protest claims:

1. As to “lignum extract or similar merchandise” entered prior to September 30, 195Y, that it is dutiable under paragraph 38 and T.D. 54108 at one of three alternative rates, namely, Y percent, 6y2 percent, or 6 percent, directly or by similitude.

2. As to such merchandise entered on and after September 30,195Y, that it is duty free under paragraph 16Y0, as amended. (Note: The date should be September 29,195Y.)

3. That there was an established and uniform practice for classification of such merchandise as claimed, and the liquidation, therefore, is contrary to section 315 (d).

Before taking up the similitude claim or the claim to an established and uniform practice, we turn to consideration of plaintiff’s two direct classification claims. The basis of these direct classification claims is found in the following two statutory provisions:

Paragraph 38, as modified by the Sixth Protocol of Supplementary Concessions to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (T.D. 54108), effective June 30', 1956:

Extracts, tanning, not containing alcohol:
Chestnut, divi-divi, hemlock, and other extracts, decoctions, and preparations of vegetable origin used for tanning, not specially provided for (except urunday extract and not including wattle).

Public Law 85-235 (T.D. 54441) amended paragraph 38, limiting that provision to the enumerated provisions used for dyeing, coloring, [187]*187or staining; and also inserted a new subparagraph (b) in paragraph 1670, as follows:

(b) Extracts, tanning: Chestnut, cuteh, divi-divi, hemlock, mangrove, myrobalan, oak, quebracho, sumac, valonia, wattle, and other extracts, decoc-tions, and preparations of vegetable origin used for tanning, and combinations and mixtures of the foregoing; all the foregoing not containing alcohol and not specially provided for. [71 Stat. 516.]

Public Law 85-235 became effective September 29,1957.

There appears to be no real question that all three forms of Lignosol are extracts, or preparations, of vegetable origin, not containing alcohol. Defendant concedes as much. There is little doubt, from the testimony of record, that these importations of Lignosol preparations were, in fact, actually used for tanning. The controverted legal issue is whether paragraph 38 requires, for classification thereunder, that the chief

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Related

United States v. Emery
53 C.C.P.A. 1 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1966)

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52 Cust. Ct. 183, 1964 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/emery-v-united-states-cusc-1964.